We all have the same 24 hours. Why do some of us manage time better?

Productive use of time is a personal decision. Ask yourself, are you achieving the kind of life you want for yourself? Look at your actions throughout the day, week, and year.

Here are some steps toward taking control of your time and your life.

Know where your time goes.

• Keep a time log to become aware of how you are currently using your time.
  
  

Know where you're going.

• You want your use of time to be satisfying so your goals should reflect your values. You may want to earn a degree, spend time with your family, or have more time to relax.
• You can break larger goals down into achievable, specific steps. For example, if your goal is to earn a degree, a major step might be to complete one course. Each step can be broken down into smaller steps until you have a step that you can complete today:
  • Earn a degree.
  • Complete this course.
  • Write a paper.
  • Pick a topic.
    
    

Know what's important.

• When we make our daily "to do" lists, we often forget about our long-term goals. We seem busy but may not be productive or feel a sense of satisfaction.
• Your long-term goals may reflect all areas of your life:
  • Physical well being
  • Family and friends
  • Education/career
  • Community
  • Spiritual and humanitarian work
• Goals should focus on actions. You will want to make your goals specific. "I will walk for 30 minutes every day this week," or "I will spend one hour helping my son with his homework each evening."
• Sometimes managers use an A B C approach, assigning A's to the highest priority items. They recommend doing the A items on your daily list first and then the B and C items if you have leftover time. That way you can be certain that the most important goals have the highest importance.
  
  

Find the tools that work for you.

• Most of us need to write things down to remember them. We use calendars to keep monthly, weekly, or daily lists of things to do.
• You can set deadlines for reaching a goal and work backwards, planning due dates for each step.
• Break big goals down into small manageable steps.
• If you want to paint the bathroom by the end of the month, you will need to pick a color, choose the paint, clean out cupboards, remove handles and fixtures, prepare the surface/mask other surfaces, and then paint the number of coats you will need. Each of these can be a step which you do all on one weekend or schedule over time.
• The tools are your own version of a calendar and daily lists. Some recommend keeping a running master list where you jot down ideas as you think of them. You can draw from this list as your prioritize your goals and later as you plan your daily schedule.
• Most time managers recommend thinking about your daily list either the evening before or the morning of to prioritize and prepare for that day.
  
  

Know your time-wasters.

• Some common obstacles which may get in the way of your managing time effectively are: procrastination, distractions, unclear or unrealistic goals, perfectionism, failure to make decisions, getting overwhelmed by clutter, and not being able to say no.
• As you develop your time management skills, remember that no one reaches their goals overnight. Time management is a process.
• Don't forget to plan rewards for completing each step!

For more individual help with managing your time, NSCC students can contact the Counseling Center to make an appointment with a counselor.